SURVEY OF ASTRONOMY: STUDENT GUIDE

MOTIVATION IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!

When you tell someone about a movie you saw, they may ask `why did
this person do what they did?' If the movie is was good, you can
answer this question in terms of what you know about the character's
goals and desires - for example, `She dressed like a man because she
wanted to be an actor and only men were allowed to be actors.' When
you do this, you recognize that motivation comes from within a
character.

Real life is like that too. For example, let's say your friend
decides to visit the Big Island. If you happen to know that your
friend has relatives in Hilo and wanted to visit them, then you
understand your friend's motivation. Again, your friend's motivation
is an aspect of their personality - not imposed from outside,
but something which is part of them.

Now think about your motivation. Why do you want to take
this class? Maybe that you are curious about astronomy and want to
learn something about it. I sincerely hope so - curiosity and a
desire to learn are the best motivations you can possibly have.

Or perhaps you have only a little interest in astronomy, but need
the credit because it enables you to go on and study another subject
that really interests you. That's OK, too, as long as you remember
your original goals and recognize that doing well in this class will
help you achieve them.

But if you have no real interest and simply need a science credit
to graduate, then you may have a tough time with this class.
Astronomy is not easy - both logic and imagination are required to
understand something about the entire Universe. You can pass the
course, but it may take some hard work.

Whatever the source of your motivation, I will do my best to help
you out, answer your questions, and encourage you to succeed. But -
and this is important - I can't create your motivation. Your
motivations are part of your personality. I can no more
motivate you to study astronomy than I can tell you what foods you
like, what music you enjoy, or what kind of friends you want. That's
definitely not my job, and I'm very happy that it's not!

If you understand that motivation is your responsibility, I
welcome you to this class and to the study of astronomy.

MATH AND PHYSICS

There is no getting around the fact that mathematical reasoning is
an important part of astronomy. Students sometimes suggest that
astronomy would be easier to understand if it was taught without
mathematics. But without math, astronomy is little more than a random
set of facts and a collection of pretty pictures. Math is the `glue'
which holds the subject together.

Likewise, some understanding of physics is essential to the study
of astronomy. Planets, stars, and galaxies are all physical objects,
and they obey the laws of physics. Astronomers use these laws to
understand the observations they have made. Without physics, we would
have no way of knowing what kind of universe we inhabit.

This course has no prerequisites; any student at the University of
Hawaii may take Astronomy 110. But as a University student you are
expected to have some basic knowledge. Elementary arithmetic,
fractions, percentages, and scientific notation (`powers of 10') will
be used throughout the course. Simple algebraic equations and
geometric diagrams are used as required; I'll explain things as I go
along, but you must make the effort to understand, and to ask
questions if you find something confusing. Keep in mind that the
purpose of equations and diagrams is to express relationships between
different quantities; an equation is not just a `formula' for
calculating answers! Some basic facts about logarithms and
trigonometry will also be useful. Finally, physical ideas will come
up in almost every lecture. Concepts like energy, force, momentum,
velocity, and acceleration are basic to astronomy; simple facts about
atoms, light, electricity, and magnetism are crucial in understanding
this subject.

Albert Einstein once said `Everything
should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.' This is a good
rule, first because it says that simple explanations are better than
complicated ones, and second because it recognizes that some
complexity is unavoidable. As a teacher I have no wish to confuse
you, and every possible motivation to explain this subject as clearly
as I can. But I can't make astronomy perfectly simple - I would be
cheating you if I tried! Many college-level textbooks on astronomy
have been written, but all use some math and physics. We are using
one of the simpler books for this course, and I'll make every effort
to explain the material in clear and basic terms. Your part of the
bargain is to make a real effort to understand, instead of assuming
that science is just too tough. It's not.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

The main reading assignments are summarized in the Course Outline, and listed in more detail on
the web page for each topic. We're using The Cosmos by
Jay Pasachoff and Alex Filippenko as the textbook. You should think
of the book as a reference and a source of background information -
not a substitute for the lectures! While the book follows
roughly the same outline as this course, there are some real
differences. Because of this, we will skip some parts of the book,
and cover some sections out of sequence.

The most serious problem with this book - and most others on the
market - is the way it treats the planets. The book begins by
describing the Earth and Moon, then does a grand tour of the other
planets in order of their distance from the Sun. This doesn't always
make sense - for example, the rings of Jupiter are described before
the much more spectacular and important rings of Saturn! Worse
still, this planet-by-planet approach makes it hard to recognize the
things that several planets have in common, so learning the about
Solar System amounts to memorizing the properties of fifteen or so
individual planets and moons. (It's a bit like learning the geology
of Hawaii by studying each island separately, instead of learning that
all the islands formed in the same way and so are somewhat alike). In
the lectures I will not discuss the Solar System planet-by-planet;
instead, I will try to emphasize the things that different planets
have in common.

Many of the reading assignments are pretty short, and you may
benefit by looking at them more than once. For example, it's probably
a good idea to quickly read the assigned sections for each week's
class before Tuesday's lecture; don't worry about understanding
the details, just try to get a general sense of the ideas. Then,
before Thursday's lecture, go back over the reading more carefully.
It may help to highlight key ideas, but don't highlight long blocks of
text; try to pick out the sentence or phrase which really explains the
point. And don't feel you have to memorize numbers and names - I
can't remember most of that stuff anyway, and I'm not going to
test you on your ability to memorize trivia!

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS

Weekly homework assignments are an important part of this course.
It's impossible to really learn astronomy by just going to the
lectures and reading the text - you must also actively work
with the concepts, and each assignment is designed to help you do
that. The assignments will be fairly short, and each one is directly
connected to the topic covered that week. Homework is handed out each
Tuesday; as a rule, it's exactly due one week later, and will be
graded and returned to you on Thursday. This schedule insures that
you tackle each assignment while the relevant class material is still
fresh. Partial credit is given for late papers, but you must hand
your work to me before the start of class on Thursday.

The assignments will include observations, simple experiments,
plotting graphs, basic calculations, and written questions. You will
need a calculator, preferably one which can take square roots and cube
roots, a ruler marked with a metric scale, and other everyday
items.

In every case it's important to show your work and briefly
explain your reasoning. For example, suppose you are asked to do a
calculation. It's not enough to just write down the final number -
you must explain how you got that number to receive credit.
This is not just `busy work'; rather, it is a key part of the learning
process. In explaining how you found an answer you have a chance to
review your reasoning, and this can help you find any mistakes you may
have made. In addition, I can give you partial credit if you have the
right approach but don't get the right answer. That's impossible if
you write down an answer without an explanation! The same goes for
observations, experiments, or any other kind of assignment - you
must briefly explain what you did to get credit.

Finally, a word about working together on assignments. Studying
together can help in solving problems, but you must make sure that
everybody is actively involved. If you work in a group, everybody
must write their own explanation using their own words.
This is very important - expressing yourself in your own terms will
help you to understand the material. It's pretty obvious when people
copy from each other, and I will not give full credit if people turn
in identical answers! On the other hand, I will give full credit if
you take the trouble to use your own words - because that
shows that you understand the answer. Likewise, if you find an answer
to a question in the textbook, don't copy it word for word, but take
the time to rephrase the answer in your own terms. Doing so makes the
answer your work!

Homework counts for one-third of your course grade.

WEEKLY QUIZZES

A brief in-class quiz will be given at the end of each Thursday's
class. Each quiz focuses on the key topics covered that week and
consists of one question requiring a short written answer. The
purpose of the quiz is to make sure that you understand the main point
of the week's lectures. Notes and textbooks are not allowed, and you
will not need a calculator. Each quiz will be graded and returned to
you at the start of next week. Of the fourteen scheduled quizzes,
only your twelve best scores will count towards your grade for the
course.

The quiz will start ten minutes before the end of class. Once the
quiz starts, nobody will be allowed to enter or leave the room. If
you finish before the time is up, check over your answer or sit
quietly until the class ends. These rules are designed to make sure
that everybody have a chance to think without being distracted by
other people coming and going.

Makeup quizzes will only be given if you have a legitimate reason
for missing class. Legitimate reasons include illness, family
emergencies, and college athletic activities. If you miss a class
because of illness, you must bring a doctor's note to schedule
a makeup quiz (let me know ahead of time if your religion prevents you
from seeing a doctor). If you miss a class because you are
participating in sports, you must bring a note from your coach
before being absent. Makeup quizzes will be oral; the question
will not be the same as the one asked in class.

Since Thursday, November 23 is a holiday, no quiz will be given
that week. In addition, no quiz will be given on the last class.

The quizzes count for one-third of your course grade.

FINAL EXAM

The final exam will take place in Watanabe 112 on Thursday, December
14 from 9:45 to 11:45. Nobody can be admitted to the exam once anyone
has left, so please be on time. You will need a Number 2 pencil to
fill out machine-readable forms.

This is a closed-book exam covering the entire course. It will
include written questions requiring short answers, simple
calculations, and multiple choice questions. You are allowed to bring
a calculator and one page of notes.

You must take the final to pass the course. Special
arrangements can be made for students participating in organized
sports; please ask your coach to contact me before the last day of
class. Students absent because of serious illness or family
emergencies will be given an `incomplete' grade, but only if they
contact me before 5 pm on Friday, December 15.

The final counts for one-third of your course grade.

STUDENT CONDUCT

As a university student, you may be going through a time of rapid
change. Perhaps you are living away from home for the first time.
You have new freedoms - the freedom to decide your own hours, chose
new friends, set your own goals. With those freedoms come important
responsibilities.

As a university professor, I assume that you are ready to accept
both freedom and responsibility. You are free, for example, to decide
to skip the lectures; I can't make you come to class if you
don't want to, and I have better things to do than take attendance!
But freedom implies responsibility. If you don't attend class, you
will miss quizzes and homework assignments as well as a chance to
learn the material. If you fail astronomy because you don't show up
for lectures, you can only blame yourself, and nobody else will
take responsibility for your failure.

Your responsibilities do not end when you come to class. I don't
expect you to pay attention 100% of the time, but if your attention
wanders then you must make an effort to refocus on the subject.
Needless to say, things like talking or reading in class show that you
are not even trying to pay attention. I can and will summarize
the lectures, review the key points, and in general give everyone a
good chance to learn the material, but I can't direct the focus of
your mind - you are the only person who can do that.

Likewise, it is your responsibility to know and follow the rules
for the homework, quizzes, and final exam. These rules are designed
to make sure that everyone gets proper credit for their work. Someone
who tries to gain credit without doing the work, or tries to prevent
other people from getting credit for the work they have done, is
cheating. Cheating is not limited to violations of the rules
spelled out above - any action which gives someone an unfair advantage
cheats everyone else. Treat other students as you'd like them
to treat you.